A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has described allegations that it is harassing state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) reporters as “ludicrous, disingenuous and mendacious” but said that some journalists were asked to leave a meeting after they lied about their media affiliation.
In press release yesterday, in which it called on President Donald Ramotar in his position as Minister of Information to condemn what it called a “dastardly act” by APNU, NCN said that the harassment and threats put its workers’ lives at risk.
According to the television station, which declar-ed that it is not aligned to any political party, on October 1st , APNU’s executive member and Member of Parliament (MP) Volda Lawrence during a public meeting at Laing Avenue said that a NCN reporter and cameraman were following APNU MP Winston Felix “all night” to record and “take it to (Home Affairs Minister Clement) Rohee so he can talk about it on TV.”
Further, the network claimed that on the same day at La Retraite, West Bank Demerara at another meeting, a NCN team arrived to provide coverage but was accosted by three women who enquired which media house they represented and when they were told, the women rudely informed them that they could not enter. Another incident, according to NCN, occurred on October 2nd, at Bagotville Community Centre where the NCN team was identified and called out by APNU supporters. It said too that APNU’s Chief Whip Amna Ally prevented the team from entering the venue and threatened that if they did, she would embarrass and expose them. Prior to this, an NCN cameraman was also said to have been identified to APNU MP Basil Williams by supporters who informed him that he was being filmed and the NCN reporter was forced to beg officials to ensure her colleague was not harmed.
And last Friday at Middle Dam, Pouderoyen, West Bank Demerara, another NCN team covering a public meeting was yelled at by APNU supporters and they were subsequently told they could not cover the meeting, NCN said.
The network pointed out that on one hand APNU continues to accuse it of not providing coverage to the opposition coalition but on the other hand evicted its team from public meetings.
“NCN believes these recent acts of intimidation and attacks on our journalists are a direct threat to press freedom in Guyana and a violation of Article 23 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that ‘Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment…’”
However, in response to the allegations, APNU yesterday said that it recently had cause to ask two NCN reporters to leave a meeting after they lied about their media affiliation. It stated that a cameraman claiming to be Dillon Sampson from Capitol News and a reporter who identified herself as Olivia Rose were asked to leave when it was determined that they were not from Capitol News but from NCN. The Partnership said the incident occurred at a meeting that was not open to the public and the alleged falsification of credentials by the NCN crew was reported to the management of Capitol News. In a subsequent press release yesterday, NCN denied this. It said “…NCN employees have absolutely no reason to impersonate any other media house. We are proud of who we are and as such condemn APNU’s poorly manufactured lies about our journalists”. NCN also reiterated its allegations of harassment.
APNU in its statement said that it found the claim by NCN that it was not aligned to or was an organ of any political party “to be a fallacy and laughable.”
“It is a fact that NCN operates as an organ (mouthpiece) of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic administration. It is a fact that the NCN has an institutional policy that refuses to give equal time or coverage to opposition parties in Guyana. It is a fact that NCN’s coverage of political and national events is biased,” APNU charged in its release.
The Partnership, in a statement, pointed out that in 2012, the Leader of the Opposition had cause to write to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the President of Guyana to complain about the reporting by NCN. At that time APNU threatened to exclude NCN unless it was more balanced in its coverage. In 2013 and 2014 the “practice of gutter journalism and disinformation by NCN continues.”
“APNU sees the current accusations being made by NCN as part of the executive war on the legislative branch,” the partnership said, adding that it had listed 90 cases of biased reporting in favour of the PPP in a dossier titled ‘The Executive War on the Legislative Branch’ and noted that the list is growing.
It warned that it will not accept this level of reporting, because it deprives the people of Guyana the right to the truth while affirming that there is no place in the modern media for the “lopsided reporting and the daily attacks which are levelled against the opposition by the PPP/C administration through its ‘mouthpieces’.” It named NCN, the Guyana Chronicle and the Government Informa-tion Agency- GINA as the offending agencies.
Free from fear
Meanwhile, the Guyana Press Association in a release yesterday stated that it has noted NCN’s complaints and in the same vein reminded all political parties that journalists, regardless of whether they are in the employ of the state media or the independent media, ought to be allowed to carry out their jobs in an environment that is free from fear and intimidation.
“The GPA would also like to remind media houses of the responsibilities that rest on the shoulders of their workers in the execution of their duties and would like to encourage our journalists to continue to be fearless in their reporting on the issues of the day. Journalists also need to act professionally as they conduct their duties and should not allow themselves to be used for political purposes,” the release said.
The GPA said it will be seeking to engage the Minister of Information, media owners and editors and the leaders of the political parties on issues of concerns regarding the local media from all sides.
It said too it is very worried about recent revelations that attempts may be afoot to use resources of the state to suppress and intimidate members of the private media and private media houses in the execution of their duties.
It condemned what it said was the recent abuse of a Capitol News reporter by the acting Town Clerk Carol Sooba and said Sooba ought to do the proper thing and offer a full apology to the reporter.
The association also reminded editors and media owners of the important role they need to play in the on-the-job training and education of their employees, especially the younger reporters.
